This invention relates generally to elevators, and specifically to mounting and aligning guide rails within an elevator hoistway for guiding the elevator cab and counterweights along a vertical path of travel.
In most buildings over five stories high, the elevator cabs and counterweights are raised and lowered within a hoistway by ropes that pass over drive sheaves and pulleys. The cab and the counterweight unit are equipped with roller assemblies that are arranged to ride along vertical guide rails positioned on both sides of the cab and counterweight unit. The guide rails are typically made up of sections that are cojoined in vertical alignment within the hoistway.
Each guide rail section typically is a T-shaped member that has a base and a web that is centrally mounted upon the base and extends inwardly toward the cab or counterweight unit. The webs combine in assembly to form each of the vertical guide rail. As illustrated in the FIG. 1, each rail section 11 has heretofore been secured at each end by a pair of heavy clamps 14. One clamp in a pair is arranged to engage the base flange 13 of the rail section on one side of the web 15 while the other clamp in the pair is arranged to similarly engage the base on the opposite side of the web. Each clamp is secured by a bolt 17 to a bracket 16 that is attached to the wall of the hoistway. The bolt is passed through aligned clearance holes formed in the clamp and the bracket and is held in place by a nut 18 and a lockwasher 19. Each clamp contains an arm 20 that passes over the base of the rail section. Tightening the nut draws the arm tightly against the base section thus locking the base to the bracket.
The prior method of securing the individual guide rail sections in place, although very effective, requires the use of four bolts, four lockwashers and four nuts for each section. Accordingly, erecting each of the four required guide rails takes a good deal of time and effort and is therefor relatively costly.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve method and apparatus used in the installing and aligning the guide rails used in elevator systems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a quick acting clamp for securing elevator guide rails to supporting members.
A still further object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of time required to erect and maintain the rail guides of an elevator system.
Another object of the present invention is to simplify the installation and maintenance of guide rails employed in elevator systems.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by method and apparatus for rapidly installing the rail sections of an elevator system within a hoistway or removing the section during periods of maintenance or the like. Quick acting clamps are positioned at the four comers of each T-shaped section and are arranged to engage the base flange of the section and lock the base flange to a support member. Threaded fasteners are mounted in the support member in pairs at the top and bottom locations for each section. The fasteners in each pair extend inwardly on each side of the section. A quick acting connector is threaded onto each fastener which includes a locking arm and a lever arm that are arranged to pivot about the fastener. The locking arm is initially brought into parallel alignment with the base flange at an elevation slightly above the base. Turning the arm in one direction upon the fastener causes the locking arm to pass over the base flange and at the same time the locking arm is lowered into contact with the base flange. The lever arm provides sufficient mechanical advantage to force the base flange into secure locking contact with the support member. The pitch of the threads on the fasteners are such that rotation of the connector about 90xc2x0 completes the closing of the connector. The connectors can be rapidly opened in the event the sections must be removed or realigned during periods of maintenance.